Quarterfinals: Greg Hammac vs. Andy Vorel

Greg battled in the final round of the Swiss to make the Top 8 and with his record earned the No. 1 seed in the elimination rounds – something that should help with his Mono-Red Aggro deck. His opponent, Andy, is playing a Bant Control deck using green for Kiora, the Crashing Wave. Would Greg burn his way into the semifinials or would Andy advance on the back of Kiora and Sphinx’s Revelation?

Game 1

“Assuming you want the play in this matchup?” Andy asked as they shuffled up.

Greg quickly kept his seven-card hand while Andy went down to six. Greg started off with a turn-1 Firedrinker Satyr and Andy had a temple. Greg attacked for two and added Firefister Striker to his board. Andy added a land and passed. Greg played an Ash Zealot and sent all three into the red zone, but Andy had an Azorius Charm for the striker. After hitting for four, Greg played a Rakdos Cackler.

Andy played a third land and passed and Greg untapped and turned his team sideways dropping Andy to 8. Greg passed with three mana up and Andy added another temple to his board. Greg went for an end-of-turn Magma Jet but Andy used his Dissolve. Greg untapped and dropped a Fanatic of Mogis and Andy scooped up his cards.

“That was one of the ways you could have killed me,” Andy said reaching for his sideboard.

Andy passed on his opening seven and Greg thought for a while before keeping his. Andy ended up on a suitable five on the play and led things off with a Plains. Greg didn’t have a play for turn 1 and Andy had a Bind Obedience. Greg had a Firefist Striker and Andy didn’t find a third land. Greg bashed for two and played a Chandra’s Phoenix. Andy found a temple for his third land and passed. Greg attacked Andy down to 14 and added another Chandra’s Phoenix. Andy ripped the fourth land and used a Supreme Verdict to clear the board.

Greg had another Rakdos Cackler and sent a Magma Jet to Andy’s dome. Andy found another land in a row and passed with five mana up. Greg sent in the Cackler, but Andy had the charm to send it to the top of Greg’s library and used the extort from Blind Obedience, but Greg responded with a Skull Crack to drop Andy to 9. Greg ended his turn with another Rakdos Cackler. Andy drew and passed with no action. Greg sent in his 2/2 and Andy had another charm with extort of course, and Greg used another Magma Jet in response to drop Andy to 8. Greg played a Cackler again and passed.

Andy landed a Kiora, the Crashing Wave with extort and ticked it up targeting the Phoenix and passed back. Greg went for a Skullcrack and dropped Andy to 7 and then attacked with Phoenix to knock Andy to 5, with the Skullcrack blannking Kiora’s effect. Andy extorted a Jace, Architect of Thought and unveiled three lands off the top and took a Plains and Island, then upped Kiora again. Greg sent a Shock at Andy at end of turn to knock him to 4. Greg untapped and sent a Magma Jet and Shock at Andy to take the match.